Influence of preparation conditions on thermal properties of lanthanide benzenepolycarboxylates

Properties of lanthanide 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylates and lanthanide 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylates obtained by a classical synthesis method and under hydrothermal conditions were compared. Solid 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylates and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylates of cerium, neodymium and erbium were prepared by a classical precipitation method. The same lanthanide compounds were obtained also from hydrothermal reaction. All obtained products were examined by elemental analysis. General formulae of complexes were: Ln(1,2,4-btc)·xH₂O and Ln₄(1,2,4,5-btec)₃·yH₂O. The thermal analysis shows that hydrothermal conditions cause the coordination of less number of water molecules to complex molecule. Because lanthanide ions exhibit the most often the coordination number equal 8 or 9 one can conclude that the coordination ability of carboxylic groups under hydrothermal conditions is different from that under mild ones. Probably, in hydrothermal conditions the carboxylic groups of 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylate ions are able to form more coordination bonds with lanthanide ions than under normal pressure.